Obama's Approval Jumps 6%

Allow me to take a break for a few moments from the Progressive Manifesto posts to offer up a bit of news to you all.

According to the Huffington Post, a new poll out from AP and GfK shows the approval rating of President Barack Obama, whose early presidency has seen a downward trend in public approval as of late, will be seeing a six percent bounce this week! From the low 50% in September to 56% presently, the President seems to have begun a new upward trend. This could be because we are finally seeing something coming out of these separate negotiations in the House and Senate between Democrat factions, which began anew after the President's televised address to Congress. It may have been the House's passing of a major overhaul of the student loan market. Who knows?! Maybe after Letterman's sex scandal the American public said to themselves, "well, at least Lewinsky's not still working there!"

Whatever the reason, this one public opinion poll says that, as a whole, six percent more of the People see the President in a brighter light. Allow me to add a quick disclaimer: I campaigned, and voted, for Barack Obama from the very beginning. I was sixteen when I first heard about him, and watched him through the many draft-Obama movements throughout the US. I hoped beyond hope that he would accept these invitations from the hopefuls in our party, as it seemed like he was the only one in the field that could take our imaginations and make some type of reality out of them.

Yet, 9 months into his presidency, I must say that I, as a Progressive, as a watchdog, and as an American, am rather disapproving of his administration. I am a part of the machine that took him from nobody to rock star, from 19% in the polls to tied with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. If it was not for me and the base of the Democratic Party, President Obama would be Senator Obama and the Clinton (2) White House may actually be pushing hard on the public option!

In light of the Saturday Night Live skit detailing the President's failures, I think it is only appropriate to make a real list of complaints that our community has when it comes to the man we placed in that Oval Office.

1. The economic policies of this administration have been far from Progressive. As the African American philosopher and intellectual Cornel West said of the administration, "don't appoint Larry Summers as an economic adviser and tell me you're progressive." He speaks the truth. Our community was looking for a stimulus package with the size and scope of a "new" New Deal, and what we received was a 787 billion dollar stimulus package, where nearly 300 billion dollars went to tax cuts. The so-called "shovel ready" jobs turned out to be less than ready. And none of the money went to things as creative as the CCC or WPA.
   
2. Guantanamo Bay is still open and will remain open for the foreseeable future. Because our Supermax prisons are strong enough to hold Timothy McVeigh and 4-dozen killer Gary Ridgway, but not even the walls of a maximum security prison in the richest country in the world would be able to keep the cab driver Dilawar inside. That's why we tortured him to death.
3. Millions of people who lost their homes in the Great Recession are still displaced, living on the streets or in tent cities. The best way to handle this would be a massive project to create a real, working, sustainable public housing system in America. We could put people to work by building homes, reconstructing buildings, fixing up dilapidated and foreclosed houses, and the like. Then, those who need places to live would have shelter at a minimal price, or for free until they found a job.
4. Because of his faltering leadership in the health care debate, we have not even been able to tackle our other top priorities: climate change hasn't been given remotely the time it needs, public education is on the back burner, and don't even get me started on gay rights, the Employee Free Choice Act, and a whole host of other issues.

In a way, I want these Representatives and Senators to get health care out of the way. I really do think this President has the possibility to do great things. His problem lies in the company he keeps. The administration's advisers are straight from Wall Street, or they are so preoccupied with "winning" that they don't have the courage to stand up with their true convictions.

Heed this warning. We were given a great opportunity in 2008. If we squander it away with non action and the fluttering around of issues, then we will not see another in years. The movement we seek will be farther off in the distance. Be proactive. Call your Congressman. Make your voice heard.